Marie emile alfred battle



MW 21, 1929. M. E. A. BAULE l LOG CONSTITUTED BY A VANE WHEL Filed May .'5,v 1926 rfa Blize L l 60T LIQUID Patented May 2l, 1929.

UNITED STATES MARIE EMILE ALFRED BAULE, OF SCEAUX, FRANCE.

LOG CONSTITUTED BY A VANE WHEEL.

Application filed May 3, 1926, Serial N'o. 106,507, and in France May 4, 1925.

Amongst the several types of logs which serve to measure the speed of ships or of aircrafts there are several which are constituted by a screw secured to the ship or to the aircraft and which the stream of water or of air causes to rotate. The number of revolutions of the screw during an unit of time allows the speed of the ship or of the aircraft to be measured.

This number of revolutions is generally counted by means of an electric contact device which is actuated periodically at each revolution of the screw or preferably by means of a suitable speed reducing gear after a predetermined number of revolutions of the screw. This contact then controls a number of speedometers placed. at various points.

In other types of logs the screw controls the rotating armature of a. magneto machine producing current the voltage of which is in a certain ratio with the speed of the screw. A voltmeter can thus serve as a speedometer.

The above mentioned types of logs are defective because of the following reasons viz:

1. The resisting torque caused by the inertia of the parts controlled directly by the screw and by the frictional losses due to these parts prevents the screw from starting before the ship or aircraft has reached a certain speed, below which the log does not work.

2. A slight modification in the state of the rubbing surfaces causes the resisting torque to vary sufficiently to change the manner of working of the screw whereby the indications given out by the log cease to be accurate.

To remove the above mentioned e has been proposed to malte 'the parts un .ctly cont-rolled by the screw as light as possible an d to dispose them as near possible to the said screw, in view of diminishing to the utmost the inertia and the frictional losses due to the said parts. But in such arrangements the electric contact device will in the case of ships be quite close-to the sea water and, the axis of the screw being necessarily horizontal and bathed by the current of water, it is very diflicult to prevent the sea water from entering the electric device whereby the apparatus will be liable to work badly and to be speedily damaged by the electrolytic action caused by the presence of the sea water.

3. Lastly it can be stated in a general manner that the screw which is advantageous when used as a driving or propelling means because of its great efficiency is not adapt-ed for accurate measuring because this efficiency 1s not constant.

My invention relates to a log which does not show any of the above mentioned drawbacks and of the type wherein the driving part is constituted by a vane wheel. or turbine having a smaller but more constant efiiciency than a screw. rlhis vane wheel has its axis perpendicular to they motion of the ship and preferably vertical. This is a great advantage chiefly in view of protecting the electric parts as the axis disposed in this manner is not bathed by the current of water.

According to my invention, the parts directly controlled by the vane wheel or turbine are reduced to the utmost, whereby the log is actuated at all speeds, even the lowest.

An electric distant control device containing no pi rts rubbing together allows the movement of the turbine to be transmitted without substantially any braking of the driving part.

Besides, when used with ships7 thanks to the vertical arrangement of the vane wheel shaft, the electric parts can be disposed inside an oil bath without the motion or the pressure of the water being allowed to remove this oil which by reason of the difference of its density with reference to that of the sea water is always urged upwards and remains above the said sea water.

Several forms of execution of a log as used with a ship built according to my invention shown by way of example on appended drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a vertical sec yional view of a first forni of execution whereof Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Fig'. l.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a second form of execution wherein the speed indicating parts are controlled from a distance by a control deviie the transmitting part of which comprises a liquid resistance.

Fig. 4 shows a modified form of this second form of execution;

Fig. 5 shows a modified form of the distant control device;

Fig. t) is a diagrammatical view showing several logs working simultaneously and disposed at several points of the hull in view of giving out a mean speed at the central speedindicating station.

Lastly F ig. 7 shows a modified form of this arrangement of several logs.

In the form of execution shown in Figs. l

and 2 the horizontal bottoni l ot the hull is provided with an aperture wherein the tube 2 containing the vane wheel .is inserted. This tube can be manipulated by the handle 3 which allows the tube to be secured to or removed from the aperture in the hull. This aperture can bc closed when the tube is removed by a valve constituted by a slide 4.- nioring inside the casing 5.

ji securing` llangre (3 prevents the tube 2 from being; raised by the pressure oit the' water on the o1 ide ot the hull and a screw 'i' pass ing through this [lange allows the tube to be adjusted an to height. A. stiu'lingdioiY 8 is suitably disposed between the tube and .its suiiport '12.

inside the lube 2 is dif-spoiled the Vane wheel l) the Yertica l axis l() whereot rests by its lower point on the step bearing ll. borne by the bottom ot' the tube 2 and which can be made et lignlnn vitaey for instance. rlhe axis l() ends at its top extremity with a worin l2 meshing' with a worin wheel l?) secured to a drum il made ot' insulating,` material and hearing` condiuting strips such as l5. These diilerent strips are connected together by means ot suitable connections disposed Ainside the drum ll.

The contact rollers i6 are adapted to bear on the drum 1l and are electrically connected with the terminals 17 which are in their turn connected through the wires 18 with the insulated terminals i9 secured in a watertight manner tlirough the top oit the tuhe 2, A suitable indicating device (not shown) is connected with the terminals l5).

ln frontI ot the vanes ot the wheel 9 the tube 2 partially cut open as shown at 20 (Fig. 2), a partition 2l being' lett in order to ensure the rigidity ot the tube. The sea water can thus enter inside the tube 2 and aetuate the vanes ot the wheel. A horizontal partition 22 through a central opening;` in

which the shaft l0 ot the vane wheel is adapt ed to pass disposed inside the tube Q above the wheel. The part olf the tube disposed above this iLiartition is tull of" oil wliereii'i the electric contact device batl lt can under no circumstances mix with the sea water which occupies the lower part et the tube.

In the form ot execution shown on Fig. f3 the loir is constituted in the saine manner as in the above described torni oit execution, except as concerns the tube 2 which instead et being partially cut open is provided with a simple hole through which the vanes ot the wheel 9 are allowed to project whilst they pass in trontol it. Besides the shaftI l() is borne by a hall bearing;` rlhis loais devised so as to transmit at a distance the indications concerning); the speed. The control device consists in an arrangementl the transmission station ot which comprises a liquid resistance or an elect-rolytic contact such as the one l have described in my British Patent 228,166 tiled on January 2l, 1924, and illustrated more particularly on Figs. 3 and t ot' said patent. In view ot this the sha'tt l() l'iears a co.iductinl rod 233 dipping` inside an annular container 26 wherein is disposed a liquid ot small conductivity. The container 2G is also provided with stationary insulated rods 27 each connected with a terminal QS insulated 'trom the tube Q. The terminals 28 are in their turn connected with the terminals of a controlled motor 29 actuatiirgY a speedometer 30. The circuit of the electric source 3l is closed through the grounded plate B2.

'lhe working is the Vtollowird;: lWhen the wheel 9 rotates under the action ot the water, it actuales the rod @o the angular distan e ol which to the feral stationary rods 2T varies therefore in a continuous manner as the said rod rotates in front et the stationary rm s. rlhe resistance ot' the liquid inserted. in the ci rcnit correspond ing` to these rods Varies thus continuously. '.lhereby a variable voltage is prmlueed at the terminals ot .the receiving motor 29 which controls the speedometer 30. The motor 29 is preferably oit the well known type described vfor instance in my prior above mentioned ABritish specitication7 which comprises. a number ot ceoperating` phases connected with the terminals corresponding to the several stationary rolls whereby the A. C. due Vto the variable voltages at the terminals ot the motor causes a rotating tiel( to arise in the motor an d the rotor to move by an an fle corresponding' to the rotation ot the rod 25 and therefore to the speedot the vane whe-ei. This motor can also7 by means of a suitable speed reducinggear, rotate a contacting4 cam 3313 controlling' a track recorder.

ln a modified tornn no annular container QG is used. ln this case (Fie the oil tills the tube 2 only up till a ce1 un level Bil and the tube contains above this level a badly conducting liquid lighter than oil. Inside the tube and alone; the wall thereo' is disgiosed at a height corresponding` to the badly conductimr liquid an insulating;a sleei'e bearing' the stationary rods Q7 and tbe terminais 28.

Any other combination ot dry or electrolytic contacts can be used, for instance a series of contact mounted in parallel and adapted to come in contact successively with a roller actuated by the sh e ot the wheel. The lirequency ot the current impulses thus produced is in a. given ratiowith the speed and can be measured by a frequency meter. A form otl execution ot' such an arrangement is shown on Fier'. The shaft l0 ot the wheel 9, suitably -bent at its top end is provided with a roller 36 adapted torub against stationary contacting parts 37 borne by an insulatingr sleeve 88. These contacting parts are mount? ed in parallel and connected through' the connections One of them connected through a wire with one of the poles of an electric supply 41 the other pole of which is connected with one of the terminals of a frequency meter 42. The second terminal of the frequency meter is connected with a grounded plate 43.

A number of log tubes similar to those described hereinabove can be disposed along the hull l whereby the mean speed of the water along the hull can be ascertained. In view of this the several logs are disposed so as to aotuate at a distance a number of speedometers disposed so as to let the mean speed be given out by a suitably disposed central speedometer. The totalizing of the several speeds given by the logs is obtained by a mechanical or electrical arrangement of any suitable type.

In the form of execution shown on Fig. 6, the different logl tubes 2, 2', 2 placed at different points of the hull l actuate each a. inotor 44, 44, 44 through a distant control system. These motors each control a differential device or totalizer 45, 45', 45 suitably connected with a speedometer 4G which gives thus the mean speed.

Fig. 7 shows an electric totalizing device. The controlled motors 44, 44, 44 actuated by the logs 2, 2', Q control each the movable part of a magneto machine 4'?, 47l 47. 'lhese several inagnetos are connected in seri ,-5 and connected with the terminals of a volt-meter 48. The voltage given out by the voltmeter is the sum of the three voltages of the magneto machines 47, 47, 47 whereby the voltmeter gives out the mean speed which is in a given ratio with this total voltage.

Evidently the vane wheel or turbine can be of any suitable type and for instance it can be constituted by a cylinder which may be outwardly corrugated or striajted or even completely smooth.

IVhat I claim is l. A log for measuring the speed of a ship the hull of which is provided with an aperture, comprising a vertical tube closed at its lower end, adapted to project through the aperture and beyond the hull and provided with apertures in its side walls near the lower end thereof, a bearing on the bottom of the said tube, a vertical shaft resting freely thereon and disposed inside the vertical tube, a vane wheel secured to said shaft and entirely contained inside the tube with the vanes thereof projecting in front of `the aperture therein, a receiver, means driven by the vane wheel, electrical means actuated thereby and adapted to control lthe receiver and means for securing the tube in operative position.

2. il. for measuring the speed of a ship the hull of which is provided with an aperture, comprising a vertical tube closed at its lower end, adapted to project through the aperture and beyond the hull and provided with apertures in its side walls near the lower end thereof, a bearing on the bottom of the said tube, a vertical snaftresting freely thereon and disposed inside the vertical tube, a vane wheel secured to said shaft and entirely contained inside the tube with the vanes thereof projecting in front ot' the apertures therein, a receiver, an electric contact device disposed in the tube adapted to be periodically actuated by the vane wheel shaft and disposed above the level of the sea water in the tube, a liquid filling the tube above the sea water and in which the contact device bat-hes, receiver wires operatively connecting the receiver with the said contact device and means for securing the tube in operative position.

3. A log for measuring the speed ofa ship the hull of which is provided with an aperture, comprising a Vertical tube closed at its lower end, adapted to project through the aperture and beyond the hull and provided with apertures in its side walls near the lower end thereof, a bearing on the bottom of the said tube, a vertical shaft resting freely thereon and disposed inside the vertical tube, a vane wheel secured to said shaft and entirely contained inside the tube with the vanes thereof projecting in front of the apertures herein, oil filling the tube above the sea water level, a liquid of small conductibility lighter than oil filling the tube above the oil, a rod secured to the vertical shaft and bathing -in said liquid, conducting rods dipping in said liquid outside the path of the first mentioned rod` a receiving motor, conducting wires connecting the motor respectively with the first mentioned rod and with the insulated rods, a speedometer controlled by said motor, and means for securing the tube in operative position.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

MARIE EMILE ALFRED BAULE. 

